Hand-held tools powered by electricity (corded (AC) or battery pack (DC)) or compressed air, such as drills, reciprocating saws, screwdrivers, and nailers are extensively used by electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and others. Common tasks for such devices generally include drilling holes, driving fasteners such as screws, and cutting various materials. Some of these tasks require the use of drill bits and tool bits that are typically stored separately from the hand-held drill.
Frequently, building tradesmen are confronted with the task of finding some suitable structure, such as a stud, hidden behind a visible wall surface to securely hold a nail or screw. Various stud sensors have been developed to locate studs. These sensors can also be used to locate conduit, exhaust vents, rebar, plumbing and other hidden material a tradesman may wish to avoid drilling or cutting into. More importantly, building tradesmen have to drill holes or cut materials in the vicinity of “live” electrical lines. Various sensors have been developed to locate electrical wires, especially “live” wires. Further, other types of sensors have been developed to help tradesmen locate and distinguish different materials hidden behind walls. Collectively, these sensors are defined as object sensors.
While highly effective, one problem with such object sensors is that they are a separate piece of equipment that the tradesman may lose or merely not carry on him when he needs it. Prior art solutions have been to provide the workers with pouches and the like that can be worn about the waist. While these pouches eliminate the need for the operator to leave the workplace to get the object sensor, the workman must remember to first place the object sensor in the pocket and then search the myriad of pockets to find the object sensor. Thus, a significant savings of time may not be realized.
One proposed solution is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,240, which shows a nail gun having an object sensor attached to the gun. One drawback of this device is that the object sensor is not readily removable from the nail gun and is therefore not easily used separate from the nail gun. Moreover, the sensor is attached to the tool by clamps that require yet another tool to loosen or remove the clamp and thus, the sensor.
Another proposed solution is shown in U.S. patent application publication Ser. No. 2001/0053313 A1, which shows a subsurface object locator that can be attached to the top of a drill housing and is shaped to provide a handrest for operating the drill. The disclosed device, however, requires a special drill housing and also requires several cooperating parts, which increases the cost and complexity of the device.
Therefore, there still exists a need for a hand-held power (AC and/or DC) or pneumatic tool with a removably attached object sensor that is simple to manufacture and that can be used separate from the tool.